Gwen - Los Angeles

Where do you take the man you love for his birthday? To a house of meat. A meat-house. No way this will fail. 

Gwen doesn't fail. Gwen can't fail. Prime butcher cuts of meat, expertly sliced and diced, a Charcuterie so good I forget to take a photo. A tender, lighter ham, a firm and fatty duck speck, a plush and salty salami spread, and a trio of sausages sliced thin, each with its own unique signature of savor. The fouetté is lighter with garlic and white wine, the Spanish chorizo has some spunk. The pork and fennel is gentle, and every bite just makes me mental. 

For a light surf n' turf warm-up, the Oysters are worth a gander.

We're in a meaty mood, and the Bone-in Ribeye is 34 ounces of heaven. Each bite melts in your mouth, and there's so much fat it could be a low-grade wagyu. Then again, foraging for an edible bite isn't very fun: two of those slices were just fat and the bone makes up quite a bit of the weight.

There's a side of Roasted Beets that I thought would cut through all the fat, but I'm not a fan. It's a lighter, silky root vegetable by nature, but they drown it in horseradish cream which leaves a bitter aftertaste.

There's a Panna Cotta for a little more aftertaste. A smear with much more cream than jelly, a cold, almost sweetmilk that takes me back a tiny town in Tuscany ten years ago. The panna cotta there tasted like this, and this is the first time I’ve tasted it again. They add their own special touch, with a streak of caramel and a refreshing uplift of apple. 

Little extras from the kitchen: a Lychee Dragee, a sweet fruit jelly and a Macadamia Nut Truffle with a chocolate crunch. 

I like Gwen. I don't love Gwen, but I like it. If you want a slab of meat that's guaranteed to be good, Gwen is a guarantee. I'm not sure how their seafood is, but I don't see a point in trying things they don't specialize in, especially not after those beets. Great steak and glamorous dining. Fun cocktails, good service. Bring a parent or a more conservative guest with a cautious palate and they'll love you forever, guaranteed.